Cuties Marmalade Recipe

Ok, going to take a break from developing Beyond Flour: A New Kind of Gluten-Free Cookbook to share a recipe post or two 🙂

A little while back, I was about to roast a duck, and realized that I didn’t have any marmalade on hand for the glaze I wanted for it. It was cold out, I was feeling lazy – and hey, we had a ton of Cuties oranges on hand (I may be *slightly* addicted to them)… so I decided that it would be “easier” to just make some.

What can I say… marmalade is easy, and I really wasn’t in the mood to go out – ESPECIALLY not for just 1/4 cup of marmalade! I’d been meaning to make a marmalade from my favourite holiday treat for a few years now, so that also factored in… not that I really need to justify making jam!

While I grew up loving marmalade – even naming my childhood cat (and orange tabby, obviously!) after it, apparently it’s a less popular toast spread here in MN. My husband hadn’t even tried it before me! After this batch, though? Loves the stuff. We brought it to a Sherlock viewing party the day after I made it, and learned that it goes especially well on gingerbread waffles – just an FYI!

A candy thermometer is a good idea for making this. If you don’t bring it to a high enough temperature, it won’t set up right. If you bring it TOO high, it will set up more firm than you’d probably like for a spread.

Oh, and if Cuties are no longer in season when you decide to make this, no worries – other oranges and citrus fruit (alone or in combination) also work well with this recipe!

Cuties Orange Marmalade

2 lbs seedless Christmas oranges
2 lemons
6 cups water
4 lbs sugar

Wash the oranges and lemons, discarding any stickers before doing so.

Slice the oranges thinly – about 1/8 inch. You can do this with a knife or a mandoline, or – as I did – cut the oranges in half, then put them through the food processor slicing disk. Once sliced, cut each round into 4-5 pieces, place in a large pot.

Zest and juice the lemon. Add juices and zests to the pot, along with the water. Bring to a boil.

Once water comes to a hard boil, reduce heat and simmer for around 45 minutes, or until the orange rinds are very tender.

Add sugar, stir well to dissolve. Turn the temperature back up, bring the mixture up to a boil. Continue to boil, stirring constantly until it reaches between 220-224 F on a candy thermometer – about 15-20 minutes.

Check all lids for a proper seal: they should have sucked down into a vacuum seal as the jars cooled. Store properly sealed jars for later use; refrigerate any that did not seal for use in the coming weeks.

How many times have you come across a gluten-free recipe claiming to be “just as good as the normal version!”, only to wind up with weird textures, aftertastes, etc? Most gluten-free recipes are developed by taking a “normal” recipe, and swapping in a simulated “all purpose” gluten-free flour… whether store bought, or a homemade version. “Beyond Flour” takes a different approach: developing the recipe from scratch. Rather than swapping out the flour for an “all purpose” mix, I use various alternative flours as individual ingredients – skillfully blending flavours, textures, and other properties unique to each flour. Supporting ingredients and different techniques are also utilized to achieve the perfect end goal … not just a “reasonable facsimile”. Order your copy here.

Imagine gluten-free foods that are as good – or better! – than their traditional, gluten-filled counterparts. Imagine no longer settling for foods with bizarre after-tastes, gummy consistency, and/or cardboard texture. Imagine graham crackers that taste just like the real thing. Crisp, flaky crackers…without the sandy texture. Hybrid tortillas that: look and act like flour tortillas, with the taste of fresh roasted corn! Imagine chewy, delicious cookies that *everyone* will want to eat! Imagine BAGELS. If you’ve cooked from “Beyond Flour”, you already know that these fantasies can be reality – it’s all in the development of the recipes. Order your copy here.

Marie Porter

Marie is an award winning cake artist based in Minnesota’s Twin Cities. Known as much for her delicious and diverse flavor menu as for her sugar artistry, Marie’s work has graced magazines and blogs around the world. Having baked and designed for brides, celebrities, and even Klingons, Marie was proud to share her wealth of baking knowledge in her two cookbooks: “The Spirited Baker” and “Evil Cake Overlord”. Marie has also authored a book about her experiences surrounding the 2011 Minneapolis tornado: “Twisted: A Minneapolis Tornado Memoir”